Spring-wheel for automobiles and other vehicles.



W. STEPHENS & H. M GASTON.

SPRING WHEEL FOR AUTOMOBILES AND OTHER VEHICLES.

APPLICATION mum Nov. 2, 1910.

Patented Aug. 6. 1912.

j, are integral with the other Vehicles,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WINSTON STEPHENS, OF NEW BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, AND

OF NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND.

HORACE M. GASTON,

SPRING-WHEEL FOR AUTOMOBILES AND OTHER VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 2, 1910. Serial No. 590,383.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we,\V1NsTox STEPHENS. of New Bedford, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, and Homes M.

GASTON, of Newport, in the county of New port and in the State of Rhode Island, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Spring-Vheels for Automobiles and and do hereby. declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact, description thereof.

The object of our invention is to provide a satisfactory substitute for the pneumatic tire in common use on automobiles which will possess all'tthe elasticity and resiliency required, but will be free fvom..the serious disadvantages, such as liability to puncture or collapse, that inhere in the pneumatic tire.

While we have hadin view the production of a tire more especially intended for automobiles, it will be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the use of our invention on any particular vehicle.

For the attainment of the' objects of our invention, said invention consists in the spring wheel constructed substantially as hereinafter specified and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a vertical section through a spring wheel, on a plane at right angle to the wheel axis, which is an embodiment of our invention; Fig. 2 a cross section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a detail plan view of a pair of contiguous springmembers which We use, and Fig. 4 is a detail view in section of one of the shoes.

In producing our invention we have had in view the production of a yielding or cushion device that may be applied to the rim or folly of the wheel, and we, therefore, employ an annulus or ring 10, preferably, of steel, of a diameter and width to fit the felly and-to which it is sec u'ed. Applied to the periphery or outer circihnference, of the ring 10 and extending in a complete circular series around the same are elastic or spring members, each of which consists of a base plate 11 curved in correspondence with the a are of curvature of the periphery of the ring 10 and a pair of stout s priug arms 12 that base plate and project in tangential directions but oppositely to each other, said spring, arms being connected with the base at opposite sides thereof and alongside of each other thereat, and each at its outer free end has attached to it a block or shoe l3. arms of adjacent base plates 11 lap past each other, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, and thus thespring arms 12 can be of considerable length so that they may have both strength and elasticity and et'their free ends form numerous supporting points for the tire. Each block or shoe 13 1s pi'votally attached to its spring arm, as by means of a pivot pin 14, which passes through lugs or ears on opposite sides of the free end portion of the spring arm and, preferably, the arm end is convexly rounded concentric'with the pivotpin and a corresponding concave surface is provided on the block or shoe 13 so that the engagement of the convexly and concavely rounded surfaces will result in strain being taken off the comparatively light pivot pin. The base plates 11 are preferably seated in a circumferential groove or recess 15 in the outer circumference or periphery of the felly-engaging ring 10, and they are secured to the latter conveniently by means of bolts 16 passing through said base plate and into tapped openings in said ring 10.

Normally the spring-su poi-ted blocks or shoes 13 are the same radial distance from the center of the wheel and they engage and support an encircling rim or tire l7, preferably, though not necessarily, of metal, said tire being as shown convex on its outer circumference in cross section, and being grooved on its inner circumference to form an annular guideway for the shoes so that the latter may slide in a circumferential direction freely with reference to said tire when, by reason of the weight on the wheel, the spring members vibrate or move to and fro. v

On the inner circumference of the tire-17, between adjacent shoes, we preferably provide inwardly projecting stop lugs 18 in the form of transversely extending ribs which being engaged by the shoes prevent excessive inward movement of said tire and its yielding supporting system.

We preferably inclose the tire l7 and its yieldingsupporting system of spring devices by a sheath or covering 19, preferably of rubber, that has a tire-forming portion that fits over the tire 17 and at each side a sideportion that extends from the tire 17 inward to the metal ring 10 to which it is sccuredly. attached by a clamping ring 20 The oppositely extending that engages it'on the outside through which the desired elasticity,

' the same series extend Q meshes wheels equipped with our invention is not impaired or detracted from, but on the contrary,is pleasing.-

Having thus described our invention what we claim is, I

In a spring'flwheel; the combination of inner and outer ri the Inner member bemg' a fasten ng screws 2l'pass into the ring 10', by means of a rib-like projection 22 on e inner side-thatis seated in a recess or cavity 23 in the side of the ring 10. Preferably,'to prevent any creeping or sliding of the portion of the rubber sheath or cover t at overlies the'tire 17,

the inner ring-form the outer ring-form series of spring arms of the sheath or cover.

It will be observed that there are two series of oppositely extending spring, arms 12,- and that all the arms of the same series extend in the same direction and aline with h other, the result beingthat the arms can be given an adequate length to secure and yet the arms be a condition or result that be possible did alternate arms of toward each other. It w1ll be understood our .inven tion may other series, a base plate of oppositely extending arms are integral,

olts passing through the base plates into the inner ring-form member. said member having a groove receiving the circumferential series of base p lates, whereby the base plates are rigidly secured to the inner ringform member, slidable shoes pivotally connected to the outer ends of the spring arm amply strong, would not outer ring-form member, on the latter situated shoes.

, In' testimony that we'claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our hands.

WINSTON STEPHENS. HORACE M. GASTON.

and stop devices particular details of construction'we shown and described.

It must be evident, we think, that with our invention all required to e capable of successfully withstandin Witnesses: the rough usage required by automobiles Lours RUBENSTEIN, and at the same time the appearance of MARCO A. Russo.

'Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents :each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. 0.

g form members spaced.

with which a pair between adjacent 

